Combination linking and delinking machine for ammunition belts



Feh. 11, 1947. M JERVEY 2,415,561

COMBINATION LINKING AND DELINKING MACHINE FOR AMMUNITION BELTS Filed Sept. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Thumas M-.lErvE-y e. fwd/MM (1W Feb. 11, N 1947; V' Y 2,415,561

COMBINATION LINKING AND DELINKING MACHINE FOR AMMUNITION BELTS Filed Sept. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ThDmaE Mdla rvey Patented Feb. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION LINKING AND DELINKING MACHINE FOR AMMUNITION BELTS 16 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates generally to the art of ordnance.

More particularly the present invention relates to improvements .in equipment employed in the ordnance art as accessories to facilitate the preparation of belt ammunition preparatory to firing the same in machine guns.

Still more specifically my invention relates to a device adapted to facilitate the loading and unloading of machine gun cartridges into ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type.

As is well known in the ordnance art ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type were developed among other reasons to meet the require- ;ments of machine gun firing from moving aircraft. Under the older systems of connecting up a plurality of cartridges in such manner as to feed them to the machine gun for rapid sequential firing, a canvas or similar belt was employed which was provided with pockets sewed or otherwise formed therein to receive successive cartridges. With the adaptation of machine gun installations to aircraft use it developed that the canvas ammunition belts which had previously been employed were not very well suited for aircraft installations chiefly because of the fact that after a number of rounds had been fired the used up canvas belt constituted a hazard the same being projected into the aircraft slip stream when used in remote installations and presenting a danger of entanglement with other aircraft parts when employed in the cockpit or direct firing installations. Ammunition belts were then developed in which successive cartridges were joined together by independent disintegrating belt links in such manner that each cartridge was firmly held by one or more loops of a link and fitted loosely into a loop of an adjacent link acting as a pintle to effect a swivel connection therewith. With such ammunition belts the firing of the machine gun results in successively disconnecting each cartridge from its associated link which, after firing, is then free to fall clear of the gun.

Disintegratlng belt links of the type described in the paragraph above have been designed in many difierent ways depending upon the desired function thereof and the requirements of the particular type of machine gun in which they are adapted to be employed. For example, in machine guns of the well known Browning type, .car

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0.61.757)

tridge feeding is accomplished by means of a dual action in which the cartridge is first extracted rearwardly from the belt link and is then moved forwardly on a different plane and is thus fed into the breech of the gun clear of the belt link. In other types of machine guns such rearward retraction of the round from the link, known as extraction, is not employed but instead a so-called push extraction is used wherein the round is pushed forwardly and into the breech by a single action thus necessitating that the ammunition link be left partially open at one side for releasing the cartridge therefrom. The de- 'vice of my present invention is adapted to be employed as an accessory for the loading and unloading, hereinafter referred to as linking and delinking, respectively, of cartridges in connection with disintegrating belt links of any type known to the art whether of the pull extraction or push extraction type.

In the preparation of ammunition 'belts of the disintegrating link type it is desirable that the individual rounds be inserted into the links under a uniform pressure in order that they may be retained therein uniformly and so that they will require as nearly uniform an extraction load as may be possible. Accordingly I have illustrated herein a link loading machine adapted to place a plurality of rounds into their associated links under a uniform pressure. In order that linking and delinking may be accomplished expeditiously "and with a minimum expenditure of time and effort the present machine also provides for the performance of these operations to a plurality of of corrosion or oxidation takes place causing the cartridges to stick in their respective links. These defects are intensified by reason of the fact that under present practices the belt links are ordinarily made of steel or other ferrous metal whereas the cartridges in contact therewith are ordinarily formed of a non-ferrous metal such as brass. The net result of this is to introduce a variation in the amount of force required to extract .a cartridge from the link which in many cases, and particularly where relatively new guns are employed, is sufficiently serious to cause malfunctioning or stoppages of the gun. I have discovered that if such preformed ammunition belts which have become more or less corroded are subjected to a delinking operation wherein each round is withdrawn from and reinserted several times in its associated link, the effects of the corrosion will be substantially overcome so that malfunctioning in firing will not occur. The device according to the present invention is adapted to perform this delinking operation expeditiously upon a plurality of cartridges simultaneously.

It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide a structure wherein the linking as Well as the delinking of a plurality of cartridges associated in an ammunition belt of the disintegrating link type may be expeditiously performed in a single mechanism.

Another object of the present invention resides in the production of a unitary mechanism adapted to alternatively perform linking or de linking operations without alteration or modification thereof.

A still further object of my invention lies in the production of a combination linking and delinking machine of simple, rugged, inexpensive, yet dependable construction which will be capable of withstanding the hard usage to which such ordnance accessories are ordinarily subjected under the extreme conditions of field usage.

Other and further objects and advantages of my present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed specification and claims together with the attached drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention, wherein:

.Fig. 1 illustrates in plan view a completely assembled machine according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a side elevation view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 illustrates a front elevation view in partial section along the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 illustrates a side elevation view in cross section taken along the line 44 in Fig. 1 showing a cartridge and its associated belt link in position in the machine prior to the delinking operation;

Fig. 5 illustrates a side elevation view in cross section similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in their relative position after completion of the delinking operation;

Fig. 6 is a detailed side elevation view of a preferred form of cartridge delinker body for use in a device according to my present invention;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the cartridge delinker body illustrated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation View of a modified form of delinker body.

- Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings wherein I have illustrated the completely assembled machine in accordance with my present invention, the device will be seen to comprise generally a fixed portion, a movable assembly slidably mounted on said fixed portion, and an operating handle and connecting link structure for effectingv relative motion between said fixed and slidable parts. The fixed portion of the device comprises a base plate IQ of generally rectangular shape in plan view and provided with a plurality of elongated grooves JI therein which as shown in Fig. 1 are ten in number. The base plate II) is provided along its front. edge withanother plate or stop member l2 secured thereto as by means of the bolts [3. The stop member l2 as best shown in Figs. 1

and 3 is formed with a plurality of notches M which as illustrated are likewise ten in number and are so located as to coincide with the front ends of the elongated grooves II. A plurality of link stop pins l5 are inserted as by means of a drive fit into the base plate l0 along a line somewhat to the left of the front edge of said base plate as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and spaced midway between each of the grooves II. Two pairs of lugs, I6 and H respectively, extend upwardly from the base plate It] integral therewith at each corner of the rearward edge thereof, and a plurality of bosses l8, are constructed integral with the lower surface of the base plate Ill at each of the four corners thereof and midway between said corners in the front and back edges of the plate to serve as foundation legs therefor.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 there is illustrated in fragmentary partial cross section a detail of the slide stop mechanism formed in the base plate [0. This assembly comprises a pin 19 slidably mounted in a cylindrical hole 20 drilled in the sides of the base plate I0, a spring 2| mounted in the hole or recess 20 in such manner as to urge the pin l9 outwardly and a holding pin 22 resting against the outer flattened surface 23 of the pin l9 and cooperating therewith and with the base plate In in such manner as to prevent said pin l9 from being fully extended by means of the pressure exerted by the spring 2|. As will be apparent from consideration of Fig. l duplicate stop pins are provided, one at each side of the base plate Ill. The function of the various elements of the entire base plate assembly will be apparent from the detailed description of the operation of the device hereinafter set forth.

The movable portion of the assembly comprises a loading slide 24 mounted on the base plate ll] transversely thereof for sliding movement back and forth longitudinally of said base plate. The top portion of the loading slide as seen in Fig. 1 appears generally triangular in shape and is formed as a beam construction. As most clearly shown in Fig. 3, at its outer extremities the ends of the beam 24 extend downwardly forming vertical slide members 25 terminating at their lower extremities as inwardly projecting locking parts 26. The construction of the loading slide 24 is thus such as to provide in effect a rectangular, inwardly opening, guide slot at each of its ends. These guide slots are adapted to fit over and slide along horizontally extending guid rails 21 formed integrally with the base plate I 0 as, for example, by machining away the lower portion thereof. The loading slide 24 is also provided at its outer extremities and rearward of the forward or loading face of the beam with two pairs of upstanding lugs 28 formed integrally with the slide 24 and constituting a pair of clevises which are suitably drilled or otherwise apertured to receive elongated pins 29 which are secured against longitudinal movement therein by any suitable means such as, for example, by means of cotter pins 30.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 again it will be noted that the pins 29 extend inwardly some distance beyond the limits of the clevises 28 and likewise extend through apertures formed in the rearwardly extending lugs 3| of the cartridge delinker body 32. The delinker body is thus mounted for limited pivotal motion around the pins 29. The main portion of the delinker body 32 consists of an angle shaped member having a flattop portion 33 and a vertical base 34, the latter bein suitably ground or otherwise machined along its bottom edge to provide a relatively sharp edge 35. The top portion 33 of the main body of the delinker 32 is partially cut away at its outermost rearward portions as indicated by the reference numerals 36 in order to provide an operating clearance for the actuating linkage hereinafter described. The vertical slide portion 25 and the "ward end against the flattened face 23 of the p pin IS when the latter is in operative position.

The operating linkage for efiecting sliding movement of the movable portions of the mechanism in a longitudinal direction over the surface of the base plate l0 comprises a pair of operating arms 38 rigidly secured at their forward ends to the opposite branches of a generally U-shaped operating handle extension 39 and a pair of toggle links fill. The operating arms 38 are pivo'tally mounted at their rearward extremities in the clevises formed by the upstanding lugs 6 and H of the base plate Ill by means of the pins 4| which are in turn held in place by means of cotter pins 42. The toggle links 40 are pivotally mounted at their rearward ends on the arms 38 at a point approximately midway between the pivots 4| and the points of juncture of the operating arms 38 with the handle 39 as by mean of pivot pins 43 and cotter pins 44. At their forward ends the toggle links 45] are pivotally mounted, by

means of the pivot pins 29 heretofore described, L

within the clevises formed between the upstanding lugs 28 formed integrally with the loading slide member 24, It will thus be apparent, particularly from a detailed consideration of Figs. 4 and 5, that the operating linkage discribed constitutes in effect a toggle mechanism and that operation of the operating handle 39 about the pivots 4| will by means of the toggle link All and its pivotal connections efiect sliding movement of the movable portions of the assembly across the The operation of the device hereinabove described is substantiallyas follows. For example, in performing a loading or linking up operation it is assumed that the movable parts and the operating linkage are in the position illustrated in Fig. .5 except that the delinker body .32 has been pivotally swung in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot pin 29 so that it occupies and remains in the position as illustrated in Fig, 2. The operator then places a plurality of cartridges, in the present case ten, on the base plate H] forward of the link loading body '24 in such manner that one cartridge lies in each of the grooves ii. A plurality of belt links 46 are next placed one in .each groove forwardly of the pins |'5 but in back of the forward stop plate |2, and are so positioned as to occupy th relative positions which they assume in a completely linked belt. The operator then grasps the handle 39 moving the same forwardly and downwardly pivoting about the pivot pins 4|. 4|], pushes the loading slide 24 forwardly or to the right as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and through the abutting connection of the forward vertical face of the slide '24 with the base of the cartridges 45, the latter are pushed forwardly into This operation, through the toggle links their respective belt links. The belt links 46 during this operation are prevented from any forward motion by means of the loading stop plate I2 although the nose of the projectiles 45 are permitted to extend forwardly of the belt links 46 by virtue of the slots I4 formed in the stop plate l2. The grooves H in the base p ate I" serve as guideways during this operation and the U-shaped slot formed by the members 25 and 23 in the sides of the loading slide 24 through its sliding engagement with the rail 21 constrains the loading slide 24 to a simple, forward, sliding motion.

As the cartridges move from the position of Fig. 5 to the position of Fig. 4, that is into engagement with the belt links 46, and just prior to the limit of forward travel of the movable portions of the mechanism, the extensions 31 formed on the loading slide 24 contact the flattened faces of the pins 19 which are accurately positioned in such manner that all of the cartridges will be loaded a uniform distance into their associated belt links so that the gripping tension of the links on the cartridges will tend to be as uniform as possible. The operating handle 39 may then be raised or rotated counterclockwise about the pivot 4| to relieve pressure against the base of the cartridges 15 and the latter, now firmly engaged with a plurality of belt links 46 to form a portion of a completed ammunition belt, may be lifted from the base plate and removed to a position adjacent thereto so that an additional ten cartridges and their associated links may be placed in the machine for a subsequent identical operation. It

should be borne in mind, of course, that each group of ten cartridges may be secured to each previously formed group in a manner depending upon the type of belt link employed as, for example, by placing the connecting or hinge loop of a previously formed group of cartridges in an end groove II in such manner as to be engaged by an end cartridge being loaded simultaneously with such loading operation.

In performing the delinking operation with the device according to my present invention it is assumed that a section of ten cartridges completely linked up with their respective belt links to form a section of a complete ammunition belt is placed in the machine in the position indicated in Fig. 4. It will be noted with reference to Fig. 4 that the belt links 46 occupy a position forward of the pins iii. The operating handle 39 is then moved forwardly and downwardly pivoting in a clockwise direction about the pin 4| and when the vertical face of the loading slide 24 approaches the base of the cartridges 45 the delinker body 32 is swung forwardly and downwardly, the arms 3| pivoting about the pins 29 until the sharpened edge 35 of the vertical face 3% of the delinker body is seated within and firmly engages the extracting grooves 41 of the cartridges. In other words the delinker body is moved :from the position of Fig. 2 to the position as shown in Fig. i. Raising the operating handle .39 and moving the same in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot A! will then result in a retraction of the movable parts of the assembly rearwardly or to the left from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 5, and by virtue of the connection between the delinker body 32 and the cartridges 45 by the engagement of the sharp ened edge 35 with the extracting grooves 41 the cartridges will be extracted from their associated links. During this operation the belt li'nks are prevented from rearward motion by reason of their abutting connection against the fixed stop pins l5. With the parts in their relative positions just described it will be apparent that the operating handle 39 may be swung back and forth a number of times to alternately engage and disengage the cartridges from the links without any other adjustments being made. This last may be desirable in the event that serious corrosion is present.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention thus far and one which is emminently adaptable to the requirements of military usage from the standpoint of simplicity, ruggedness, and dependability of operation there is illustrated in Fig. 8 a modification of the delinker body member which it may be desirable to employ in certain cases. In the modification of the delinker illustrated in Fig. 8 the construction is substantially identical with that illustrated in detail in Figs. 6 and '7 except that the vertical face 34 is provided with a plurality of generally semicircular apertures 48 equal in number to the number of cartridges which may be engaged in the machine. The semicircular inner periphery of the apertures 48 is suitably ground away or otherwise formed to provide a relatively sharp edge 49 for a purpose similar to that of the sharpened edge 35 in the embodiment previously described. For ordinary purposes I regard the sealloped modification of Fig. 8 as less desirable than the preferred embodiment heretofore described due to the difficulty of obtaining sufiiciently accurate coinciding dimensions of the semicircular aperture with the grooves in the base plate which is ordinarily formed as a simple metal casting. However if unusually large extraction forces are necessarily encountered and sufficient care is taken in properly dimensioning the base plate I0, the scalloped modification of Fig. 8 may in such cases be employed to advantage.

It will be apparent from the foregoin detailed description that many variations, modifications, and deviations from the specific embodiments disclosed will occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and I therefore intend to be limited only in accordance with the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for loading and unloading ammunition cartridges into and from machine gun ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination, a generally rectangula-r fiat base plate having a plurality of parallel grooves formed in the surface thereof and at least two sets of upstanding lugs forming a pair of clevises extending upwardly from adjacent corners thereof, a generally U-shaped operating handle having its opposite ends pivotally mounted in said clevises, a vertically extending loading stop plate mounted along the front edge of said base plate remote from said clevises, said loading stop plate including a plurality of upwardly open notches the position of which coincides with that of the ends of said grooves, a plurality of delinking stop pins extending upwardly from said base plate between said grooves, said pins being spaced from said loading stop plate a distance just slight- 1y greater than the length of a disintegrating belt link, a link loading slide extending transversely across the top surface of said base plate and including a pair of rearwardly extending clevises integral therewith and a pair of enlarged foot members slidably mounted on guide ways along the sides of said base plate, a pair of connecting linkspivotally' connected at their forward ends to said slide clevises and at their rearwards ends to said operatin handle, a pair of spring pressed stop members projecting from the sides of said base plate adapted to limit the forward sliding movement of said foot members, and a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said slide clevises, the entire assembly being constructed and arranged whereby said loading slide is operative upon movement of said operating handle in one direction to engage the bases of cartridges mounted in said grooves for pressing the same into belt links held against movement by said loading stop plate, said delinker bar being operative by engagement with the extracting grooves of said cartridges to withdraw the latter from their associated links which are held against rearward movement by said delinking stop pins upon movement of said operating handle in the opposite direction.

2. An ordnance accessory comprising in combination a base plate having a, plurality of substantially parallel grooves formed in the upper surface thereof and bracket means adjacent the rearward corners thereof, an operating handle pivotally mounted on said bracket means, upwardly extending loading stop means adjacent the front edge of said base plate, unloading stop means extending upwardly from said base plate and spaced from said loading stop means a, distance slightly greater than the length of a disintegrating belt link, a loading slide bar slidably mounted on said base plate and including bracket means adjacent its outer ends, connecting links pivotally mounted at their rearward ends on said operating handle at points remote from the pivotal connection of the latter with said base plate bracket means and pivotally mounted at their forward ends on said loading slide bracket means, stop members mounted on said base plate and adapted to limit the forward loading movement of said loading slide bar, and unloading means pivotally mounted on said loading slide bracket means and adapted to be swung into position to engage the extracting grooves of cartridges to be unloaded, the entire assembly being constructed and arranged whereby said loading slide bar is operative to insert a plurality of cartridges into a plurality of associated belt links upon movement of said operating handle in one direction and said unloading means is operative to withdraw a plurality of cartridges from their associated belt links upon movement of said operating handle in the opposite direction.

3. A combination linking and delinking machine comprising a base plate, a link loading member slidably mounted on said base plate, a delinking member pivotally mounted on said loading member, operating handle means pivotally mounted on said base plate, link means interconnecting said operating handle and said loading member, said base plate including a loading stop plate mounted adjacent its front edge and a plurality of delinking stop pins extending from the upper surface of said base plate rearward of said front edge providing a space between said delinking stop pins and said loading stop plate adapted to receive a plurality of ammunition belt links, spring pressed loading limit pins mounted in said base plate and limitin the forward movement of said link loading slide, and means forming a plurality of grooves in the upper surface of said base plate between said delinking stop pins adapted to receive a plurality'of cartridges, said machine being constructed and arranged g. whereby to load said cartridges into their associated links upon movement of the operating handle in 'one' direction and to unload said carfridges from their'respective' associated links upon movement of the operating handle in the opposide direction.

4. In' ordnance an accessory for linking and delinking ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination a base plate, a link loading slide, a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said loading slide and including a relatively sharp edge portion adapted to engage the extracting grooves of a plurality of cartridges for delinking, an operating handle, link means connecting said operating handle and said link loading slide for effecting sliding movement of the latter over the face of said base plate, a loading stop plate mounted on said base plate adjacent its forward edge, a plurality of delinking stop pinsextending upwardly from said base plate, said delinking stop pins being spaced longitudinally from said loading stop plate a, distance sufficient to accommodate a belt link therebetween and being spaced apart transversely a s'uflicient distance to permit a cartridge to freely slide therebetween but preventing such sliding movement of its associated belt link, and a plurality of spring pressed loading limit pins mounted in said base plate and constructed and arranged whereby to limit the forward loading movement of said link loading lide.

5. In ordnance an accessory for linking and delinking ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination a base plate, a link loading slide, a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said loading slide and including a generally sharp edge portion adapted to engage the extracting grooves of aplurality of cartridges for delinking, an operating handle, link means connecting said operating handle and said link loading slide for efiecting sliding movement of the latter over the face of said base plate, a loading stop plate mounted on said base plat adjacent its forward edge, and a plurality of delinking stop pins extending upwardly from said base plate, said delinking stop pins being spaced longitudinally from said loading stop plate a distance sufllcient to accommodate a belt link therebetween and being spaced apart transversely a sufiicient distance to permit a cartridge to freely slide therebetween but preventing such sliding movement of its associated belt link, and a plurality of loading limit pins mounted in said base plate and constructed and arranged whereby to limit the forward loading movement of said link loading slide.

6. In ordnance an accessory for linking and delinking ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination a base plate, a link loading slide, a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said loading slide and including a sharpened edge adapted to engage the extracting grooves of a plurality of cartridges for delinking,- an operating handle, link means connecting said operating handle and said link loading slide for eifecting sliding movement of the latter over the face of said base plate, a loading stop plate mounted on said base plate adjacent its forward edge, and a plurality of delinking stop pins extending upwardly from said base plate, said delinking stop pins being spaced longitudinally from said loading stop plate a distance suificient to accommodate a belt link therebetween and being spaced apart transversely a sufiicient distance to permit a cartridge to freely slide therebetween but 10 preventing such sliding movement of its associated belt link.

7. A machine forloading and unloading am munition cartridges into and from machine gun ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination, a generally rectangular fiat base plate having a plurality of parallel grooves formed in the surface thereof and at least two sets of upstanding lugs forming a pair of clevises extending upwardly from adjacent corners thereof, a generally U -shaped operating handle having its opposite ends pivotally mounted in said clevises, a vertically extending loading stop plate mounted along the front edge of said base plate remote from said clevises, said loading stop plate including a plurality of upwardly open notches the position of which coincides with that ofthe ends of said grooves, a plurality of delinking stop pin-s extending upwardly from said base plate between said grooves, said pins being spaced from said loading stop plate a distance just slightly greater than the length of a disintegrating belt link, a link loading slide extending transversely across the top surface of said base plate and including a pair ofrearwardly extending clevises integral therewith, a pair of connecting links pivotally connected at their forward ends to said slide clevises and at their rearward ends to said operat ing handle, a pair of spring pressed stop members projecting from the sides of said base plate adapted to limit the forward sliding movement of said loading slide, and a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said slide clevises, the entire assembly being constructed and arranged whereby said 2 loading slide is operative upon movement of said operating handle in one direction to engage the bases of cartridges mounted in said grooves for pressing the same into belt links held against movement by said loading stop plate, said delinker bar being operative by engagement with the extracting grooves of said cartridges to withdraw'the latter' from their associated links which are held against rearward movement by said delinking stop pins upon movement of said operating handle in the opposite direction.

8. A machine for loading and unloading ammunition cartridges into and from machine gun ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination, a base plate having a plurality of parallel grooves formed in the surface thereof and at least two sets of upstanding lugs forming a pair of clevises extending upwardly from adjacent corners thereof, a generally U- shaped operating handle having its opposite ends pivotally mounted in said clevises, a vertically extending loading stop plate mounted along the front edge of said base plate remote from said clevises, a plurality of delinking stop pins extending upwardly from said base plate between said grooves, said pins being spaced from said loading stop plate a distance just slightly greater than the length of a disintegrating belt link, a link loading slide extending transversely across the top surface of said base plate and including a pair of rearwardly extending clevises integral therewith, a pair of connecting link pivotally connected at their forward ends to said slide clevises and at their rearward ends to said operating handle, a pair of spring pressed stop members projecting from the sides of said base plate adapted to limit the forward sliding movement of said loading slide, and a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said slide clevises, the entire assembly being constructed and arranged whereby said loading slide is operative upon movement of said operating handle in one direction to engage the bases of cartridges mounted in said grooves for pressing the same into belt links held against movement by said loading stop plate, said delinker bar being operative by engagement with the extracting grooves of said cartridges to withdraw the latter from their associated links which are held against rearward movement by said delinking stop pins upon movement of said operating handle in the opposite direction.

9. A machine for loading and unloading ammunition cartridges into and from machine gun ammunition belts of the disintegrating link type comprising in combination, a base plate having a plurality of parallel groove formed in the surface thereof and at least two sets of upstanding lugs forming a pair of clevises extending upwardly from adjacent corners thereof, a generally U- shaped operating handle having its opposite ends pivotally mounted in said clevises, a vertically extending loading stop plate mounted along the front edge of said base plate remote from said clevises, a plurality of delinking stop pins extending upwardly from said base plate between said grooves, said pins being spaced from said loading stop plate a distance just slightly greater than the length of a disintegrating belt link, a link loading slide extending transversely across the top surface of said base plate, a pair of connecting links pivotally connected at their forward ends to said slide and at their rearward ends to said operating handle, a pair of spring pressed stop members projecting from the sides of said base plate adapted to limit the forward sliding movement of said loading slide, and a delinker bar pivotally mounted on said slide, the entire assembly being constructed and arranged whereby said loading slide is operative upon movement of said operating handle in one direction to engage the bases of cartridges mounted in said grooves for pressing the same into belt links held against movement by said loading stop plate, said delinker bar being operative by engagement with the extracting grooves of said cartridges to withdraw the latter from their associated links which are held against rearward movement by said delinking stop pins upon movement of said operating handle in the opposite direction.

10. A combination linking and delinking machine comprising a base plate, a link loading member slidably mounted on said base plate, a delinking member pivotally mounted on said loading member, operating handle means pivotally mounted on said base plate, link means interconnecting said operating handle and said loading member, said base plate including a loading stop plate mounted adjacent its front edge and a plurality of delinking stop pins extending from the upper surface of said base plate rearward of said front edge providing a space between said delinking stop pins and said loading stop plate adapted to receive a plurality of ammunition belt links, and spring pressed loading limit pins mounted in said base plate and limiting the forward movement of aid link loading slide, said machine being constructed and arranged whereby to load cartridges into their associated links upon movement of the operating handle in one direction and to unload said cartridges from their respective associated links upon movement of the operating handle in the opposite direction.

THOMAS M. JERVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,403,419 Knight Jan. 10, 1922 2,359,842 Haberstump Oct. 10, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 308,453 Germany Jan. 26, 1920 

